Chelsea has confirmed the departure of Raheem Sterling to their London rivals, Arsenal, on a season-long loan.
The move was finalized in the early hours of Saturday, following a dramatic end to the summer transfer window.
Sterling, who joined Chelsea from Manchester City in 2022 for a fee of £47.5 million, had been sidelined by new manager Enzo Maresca and was not part of his plans for the current season.
Chelsea released a brief statement acknowledging Sterling's exit: "Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling has completed a season-long loan move to Arsenal. Raheem joined the Blues from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 and has scored 19 goals across 81 appearances. He will now spend the remainder of the campaign at the Emirates. Good luck, Raheem."
Sterling, 29, expressed his excitement about the move, stating, "It’s an unbelievable feeling. It’s really exciting. I’m buzzing. It’s one where we kind of left it late but it’s one I was hoping for. Looking at everything, I’m just, like, ‘This is a perfect fit for me’, and I’m super happy that we got it over the line."
Arsenal's sporting director, Edu, explained that the signing of Sterling was more of a reactive decision rather than a premeditated plan.
"To be fair we never planned really to sign him when we started the transfer window, just to be very transparent," Edu said. "But we always say to everyone that you have to be prepared for every single scenario. It makes a lot of sense to have someone like him because I’m pretty sure he is going to add a lot in the squad."
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager, who previously worked with Sterling at Manchester City, praised the winger's experience and potential contribution to the team. "I can talk about my time with Raheem," Arteta said. "It was exceptional, we built a really strong relationship together. He was unbelievable at the time we were together and he taught me a lot as well."
Sterling's arrival at Arsenal adds depth to their attacking options, particularly on the left wing, where he will compete with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard for a starting spot.
Despite not being registered in time for Arsenal's match against Brighton & Hove Albion, Sterling is expected to integrate with his new teammates during the international break, with his debut likely to come in the North London derby against Tottenham on September 15.
The move marks Arsenal's fifth major signing of the summer, following the acquisitions of Riccardo Calafiori, David Raya, Mikel Merino, and goalkeeper Neto.
Comments